Speaking of scary medical moments and Johnny Depp, while undergoing an inguinal hernia repair (and seeing the opened flesh in the reflection of the surgeon's thick glasses, local anasthetic the whole time, never lost consciousness) he mentions that he thought I looked like Johnny Depp.

Rather than comforting or flattering, I was more of the mind that maybe I need a new surgeon if his eyesight is that poor.

gratuitous=appreciated in this context. I have just watched Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and have just fallen in love (as they say) all over again. Gratuitous! Ann.. Post more!! Man!! Yes.. Move back, Johnny! We will not burn your Citroen!! I may even go out to find this year's Beaujolais Nouveau, which I have avoided for years!! And it will not become the ... comment je sais? .. le Molotov cocktail....

Truman Capote once did a riff about the intelligence of actors, postulating that maybe the dumber they are the better actors they can be, because of how they can empty themselves of their own personality. Something along those lines. He was starting with Marlon Brando.

I have a hard time watching Depp for two reasons. First, it seems to me that he stopped acting and went into posing and being beautiful on camera instead - became a star. Second, his politics is so putrid it is hard for me to see him as anhthing other than his public statements.

I find it difficult to watch Depp for two reasons. First, it seems to me he has stopped acting and become a lovely model who poses beautifully for the camera. Second, his anti-Americanism is so vile all I can see when he is on the screen is his hatred of me.

Johnny Depp is only the beginning. France is dying. Many more of its residents will emigrate to more stable countries---like the allegedly reactionary United States. It is too late for the French to save themselves. Just do the math. There are simply too many Muslim youths that are out of control. They perhaps number in the hundreds of thousands. And yes, the authorities of this once great nation could kill them---but morally that might present a few problems of its own.

John Malkovich also lived there with his French wife and their family. Because of post-911 events, the reaction toward the Iraq War in Europe, and just the general stink of the 1930s over there, he's left France as well. From what I read he left maybe a year or more before the riots. From past comments, it seems Malkovish, despite playing many bizarre and often depraved characters, hasn't forgotten his mid-Western roots. He also left because of taxes. How American!

Hey I've been to various parts of France and life is very simple. It really is quite like parts of the movie Chocolat in some places.

You know, you can't get a more patriotic foreigner-turned-American than I (she says immodestly), but this is the kind of remark, at once unsophisticated and yet wholly innocent, that makes Americans look bad in conversation.

MrBungle, apologies in advance if I offend you and make assumptions about your nationality, but it's more a generalised observation than anything specific to you.

The Politburo Diktat had a blogpost on this very topic earlier today, here.

Excerpt quoted by the Commissar:

"The FINDING NEVERLAND heart-throb moved to Europe when life in Los Angeles became too violent.He has since divided time between the two continents - but he fears France will be scarred permanently by the current troubles.He says, “It’s insane, that setting cars on fire is the new strike.“I went there (to France) to live because it seemed so simple.“Now it’s anything but. I don’t know how they’ll recover from this.”"

According to the article quoted, he moved to France because of the Rodney King riots in LA, leaving his Viper Room to associates.

(Marrying pop songstress, Vanessa Paradis, MIGHT have had something to do with it too)

Seems he likes to cut-and-run when the going gets tough, huh?

And I say this fully agreeing with the earlier comments above, when people mention, even if they dislike his politics, they love his acting.

For my money, he has more range than Sean Penn, the most talented actor of his Hollywood generation.

P.S.: Oh, and please read the upcoming Embracing the Infidel, a new book about the Muslim migration to the West, which I mentioned on (drum roll please) my blog Saturday. ;)

“Honey, the Muslim population in France is 5 million+. They'd love to have a couple hundred thousand!”

I am chuckling to myself. Humorously, I was trying to be cautious with my original estimate. The French authorities can do no more than keep the lid on temporarily. Just think about the cars being destroyed. How does one earn a living in such an environment? Should you take the risk and purchase another vehicle? I would simply move out as soon as possible. Wouldn’t you? No, France is a dying country. I speak from experience. Many years ago, I was raised in the slums of Detroit, Michigan. Let me assure you---violence will rapidly destroy a neighborhood. Everybody loses hope. The winners move out leaving the so-called losers behind. The same thing is happening to France.

Terrence: When a guy is as beautiful as Johnny Depp, he can add a lot of ugly touches before he's gone too far. It might even help take the edge of the pretty boy look. Still, I'd much prefer him without the facial hair.

It seems as if, when I was a kid, all of the men who were widely lusted after (Tom Selleck, Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, Burt Reynolds, etc) were more macho, and most of them had mustaches. Today, women seem to prefer the pretty-boy look. Its not just Johnny Depp; look at People's world's sexiest men over the past five or six years. Is this just a change in what's fashionable? When you watch one of those films from the 80s, are those guys still hot? Or do they just look ridiculous today? I mean, Burt Reynolds looks like all five village people rolled into one, and yet he was a huge star and viewed as a heartthrob at the time. What's the story here?

I think the lack of 'rugged' leading men is partly a reflection of the growing lack of rugged men in the general population.

Rugged looking men grew up on farms and worked rugged, physical jobs. There are fewer rugged jobs given automation and machinery. Also you don't have to be as physically fit as you once did to be a farmer, plumber, lumberjack, longshoremen, etc.

IT workers aren't likely to appear rugged, even if they come from rugged stock and all their dads, grandpas, and great grandpas looked like Robert Mitchum.

And my theory regarding women forgiving facial hair on actors and encouraging their paramours to shave has to do with, how shall I put this, certain intimate activities that can become uncomfortable with a man who has bristly facial hair.

(Every women I've been in a long term relationship with liked the way I looked with facial hair but preferred that I shave anyway)